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Lagos Airport Scandal: Governor Sanwo-Olu Suspends Staff Collecting COVID-19 Test Fee
The Lagos State Authorities has suspended workers of the government-appointed agency charged with the accountability of accumulating COVID Polymerase Chain Response PCR check funds and connecting passengers to authorised designated non-public COVID PCR check facilities over alleged misconduct.
Commissioner for Well being, Prof Akin Abayomi, disclosed this on Saturday, in response to media report on Friday, October 22, 2021, titled; ‘Passengers Refuse to Pay PCR Check Payment into Personal Account’; whereby it was reported that inbound passengers on the Murtala Worldwide Airport refused to remit obligatory PCR check charge funds into a personal account belonging to a member of workers of the government-appointed agency charged with the accountability.
Abayomi, In a press release, nonetheless, clarified that an association involving the cost of charges into a private account was necessitated by the necessity to ameliorate the plight of passengers who complained of poor turnaround time on the airport within the affirmation of check charges paid, all affected passengers of curiosity had been issued a bodily receipt to function proof of cost.
The assertion learn partly: “The eye of the Lagos State Authorities has been drawn to a information report of Friday, October 22, 2021 titled, ‘Passengers Refuse to Pay PCR Check Payment into Personal Account’.
“For the avoidance of doubt, it’s pertinent to state that the Lagos State Authorities by means of the Ministry of Well being formally started the gathering of funds of COVID-19 PCR exams from inbound passengers on the Murtala Muhammed Int. Airport on the fifteenth of September 2020 by means of the companies of its contracted companions for a clean implementation of the obligatory COVID protocols as declared by the Federal Authorities for inbound passengers”.
“We’re conscious that entry to the Nationwide registration and cost portal for COVID-19 has been difficult. Many international locations world wide don’t allow a passenger to board a flight with out displaying proof of such registration and reserving for submit arrival testing along with a adverse PCR check performed 72 hours previous to departure.
“Up to now, the Lagos State Authorities has been capable of help over 11,000 inbound passengers who had been unable to register previous to departure for Lagos by connecting them to authorised designated non-public laboratories consistent with the protocol”.
“You will need to word that the supply of the choice to pay the check charge within the nation was launched to forestall passengers being denied the fitting to board flights destined for Nigeria with out a proof of registration and cost with a generated e-receipt.
“Our contracted companions have at all times supported passengers who expertise cost difficulties to make sure that they adjust to the Federal protocols whereas funds for the exams are collected on the level of arrival in Lagos and remitted to the assigned laboratories for the obligatory Day 7 check.
“Following the allegation, an in depth forensic audit for the interval in query was commenced to trace all funds made by passengers in-country, and preliminary outcomes revealed that every one funds because of the assigned Laboratories collected from inbound passengers have been duly accounted for.
“The ultimate report of this audit can be made accessible to the general public, and if any unscrupulous acts are detected, these wouldn’t go unpunished by any people indulging in them.
“While it’s legitimate to notice that an association involving the cost of charges into a private account was necessitated by the necessity to ameliorate the plight of passengers who complained of poor turnaround time on the airport within the affirmation of check charges paid, all affected passengers of curiosity had been issued a bodily receipt to function proof of cost and until date, now we have not obtained any report of passengers not getting e-receipt through mail after cost.
“Regardless of this, the named particular person has been suspended from his engagement pending the end result of the continued investigation. This motion was taken as a result of the stop-gap intervention was carried out with out prior approval from his group and/or the Lagos State Authorities.
“We now have additionally ordered that this apply to help passengers on arrival be discontinued instantly, and passengers must be required to attend on the airport until their funds are confirmed by the monetary establishment.
“Due to this fact, you will need to make sure that reserving and funds are made by inbound passengers previous to departure from their originating nation(s) to keep away from being delayed on arrival.
“This case will probably be ameliorated when a more recent model of the Nationwide on-line portal, which has been harmonized with the Lagos State platform, is launched by the tip of the month of October 2021.
“As soon as this new and extra environment friendly portal is launched, it’s probably that passengers won’t be able to board their flights certain for Nigeria with out affirmation of registration and cost for obligatory submit arrival PCR testing as is the apply in most components of the world.
“These are all essential protocols to keep away from importation of harmful strains that will set off a 4th wave in Nigeria. You’ll recall that the Presidential Steering Committee has lately relaxed these arrival protocols consistent with worldwide finest practices efficient from the twenty fifth of October.
“We totally perceive and help the grouse and suspicions being expressed by sure passengers, significantly concerning this stop-gap cost choices.
“Going ahead, the general public must be conscious that there are arrays of cost choices accessible for the obligatory PCR check which embrace funds utilizing each credit score or debit playing cards on the web platform, direct transfers to the accredited and accountable monetary establishment accounts and funds utilizing the POS machines made accessible on the airport for passengers that had been unsuccessful in making these funds earlier than departure from their nation of origin.
“The middleman cost possibility that has created this unlucky situation ceases to exist going ahead as a result of it’s inconsistent with acceptable fiscal and fiduciary transactions.”
